Red route debate 'going round in circles and getting nowhere - like trying to drive through Bury Park'

A scrutiny board’s four recommendations opposing the plans for an 18-month trial red route along a stretch of Dunstable Road will need to be reconsidered by the borough council’s executive.

An economic impact assessment and an additional parking appraisal have been called for, along with more enforcement of current traffic restrictions and talks with bus operators around air quality.

The board wants the executive to postpone the experimental red route until these actions have been taken, an extraordinary full council meeting was told.

Council leader and Labour Biscot councillor Tahmina Saleem replied: “Doing nothing has never been an option.

“Residents and stakeholders have been raising these issues for years and the council has a responsibility to take reasonable action to make the area safer and less congested.

“The consultation process was extensive and directly resulted in changes and mitigations, including dropping the Kenilworth Road one-way proposal.

“We’ll measure what happens, including the impact on businesses, journey times, parking behaviour, collisions, business vacancy rates and air quality, which will all be included in the monitoring framework.”

Labour Central councillor Mohammed Hanif described it as an economic and town centre improvement project, rather than a traffic management scheme.

“This is about making Bury Park easier to access, move around and to do business in, as congestion, parking and indiscriminate stopping prevents buses moving efficiently,” he explained.

“A surface car park on Leagrave Road with 37 spaces would have cost £500,000 or £1.7m for a three-level multi-storey car park with 49 spaces.The feasibility studies have been done. The sheer cost didn’t allow this option to be pursued.”

Independent Alliance Group Challney councillor Tom Shaw referred to the lack of a financial impact assessment, asking: “What would you be measuring against as you go along, if you haven’t done one in the first place?

“You’d do a study at the start, then another six months in to establish the effect on business and a further one after 12 months.

“On an environmental assessment, you had the nerve to come to scrutiny not knowing how many test tubes there are in Bury Park measuring the carbon dioxide emissions.

“While you’re still in control for the next seven or eight days, tell the officers to come up with a risk assessment and an impact statement on traffic which might go into the side streets.”

Independent Barnfield councillor David Franks suggested the debate was “going round in circles and getting nowhere, rather like trying to drive through Bury Park”.

He blamed the congestion on there being “no provision for buses to get off the highway at bus stops” and “the total failure of the council to enforce the current restrictions”.

Shopping centres everywhere are in decline, according to councillor Franks. “Bury Park is a vital, vibrant and successful one and we should be trying to ensure it stays that way,” he warned. “Slapping a red route there without a serious economic impact assessment is a reckless high risk strategy.”

Conservative Poets councillor Aslam Khan said: “The issues of Bury Park have been neglected for 20 years and your only solution is painting two red lines to resolve all the problems.

“You don’t listen to the residents, you don’t take account of scrutiny recommendations and you certainly don’t take notice of the businesses. Any solution needs facts and evidence, as an evidence-based solution will be more sustainable.”